Jim Jones
Interview by Scott Bejda
Continued from Murder Dog vol 16 #1
There are a few artists in the mainstream like you, T.I., Jeezy, who
are saying something. Other 
than that I’m still checking for the Dayton
Family, Spice-1, Keak Da Sneak, and people like that.
People still respect those artists. They can relate to what they are
saying. A lot of the other stuff that is out right now is party music
for people to have a good time and just kick it, but you gotta give them
some reality too.
I like party music too, but sometimes I want to hear something with words
that move me.
That’s what music is supposed to do. There’s nothing wrong with listening
to music to have a good time but there is nothing like getting motivation
from music.
Since you have been in this game what has been your biggest learning
experience?
The biggest thing I have learned is that everything is not cracked up
to be what you think it is. It’s a joke, like wrestling, because there’s
only a few people who get into the money in this game. The rest of them
are just faking it thinking that they can hopefully fake it until they
make it. A large percentage of them don’t make it, so they are living
a lie. What you see on TV is never what you get, and these people don’t
have as much money as they seem to have.
Was it a big letdown for you to learn the truth?
Yes, because I had to learn that the hard way. This is a different type
of business and if you don’t stay on top of your game you could go broke
overnight.
It sounds like walking on a tight rope!
That’s exactly what it is because one false move and you are falling
down, or in this case your career is falling down. You have to know about
this business. There comes a time when shows stop coming and you are
not that hot and that’s why you have to re-invent yourself to stay relevant.
That’s why you wear many hats!
Hell yeah!
What has been your biggest obstacle that you have had in the game?
The IRS. The IRS by far is my biggest obstacle in this fuckin’ Rap game.
They shouldn’t tax musicians. Music is what keeps the people going.
I wish! I wish! But you try telling them that shit. They are not going
to listen to that shit at all man, because if you are making money they
are gonna get a cut regardless.
It is basically a shakedown, like how the Mob would go into the local
businesses and extort money from the store owners.
Tell me about it! They are all over that shit man!
What is ultimately going to make me want to go and buy the new Jim Jones
record when it drops?
Most people know what I represent and they know what they are going to
get. They know what kind of music they are getting. If you want a smooth
ride then this is for you, because I’m still making rider music. This
shit don’t stop! I make the music that soothes your soul. I make that
music that makes you want to get up and go out and hustle. It makes you
want to go out and hustle and look for that money as opposed to you sitting
on your ass like you think you got a lotta of money but you are broke.
This is hustle music! You don’t have no time to play because this is
a recession and you need to get your money while you can. You can’t stop
dead in your tracks or you will be dead.
What would you be doing if you weren’t rappin?
I don’t know exactly what I would be doing, but I do know I would be
doing whatever it was that would get me to that money. If somebody told
me that I could take back cans and process refunds to get me more money
than these rappers then I would be collecting cans, baby. Whatever I
have to do! If I have to do thirty jobs to get this money then I would
be doing thirty jobs because I have to eat.
What do you have coming out on your label Byrd Gang?
We are about to get ready to do the Mel Murder and the H.O.B deal. He
has a group called The Hop Out Boys and they’re pretty good. I just did
a deal for them. We’re going to come out with another Byrd Gang album
and also the Bryd Gang documentary or “Mockumentary” because it’s really
a movie. We got a lot going on. We are working hard.
It don’t sound like sleep is a big part of your life.
I don’t really sleep much man. I close my eyes for a second and that’s
about it. I don’t sleep, man! There is never enough time, so what I do
is just roll with the punches rather than just sitting around seeing
if it will fall in my lap somehow.
What do you like to do other than music and acting?
I go to speak at high schools a lot. Those are my favorites when I go
and speak to the kids. I go to high schools, colleges and wherever I
get a chance to speak to the kids that don’t know the reasons we do things.
They don’t know what it is to take a calculated risk to try to make your
life better. I love to explain to them from my point of view what goes
on from a real nigga’s perspective, or from a real “Obama’s” perspective.
In your acting career do you have any upcoming projects we can look for?
I just did something in the new TV series “Crash” alongside Dennis Hopper.
That was pretty wild because I had one of the leading roles for that
episode which is going to be a reoccurring character. I am trying different
things. Hopefully something will fall into place with the acting because
that is something that I really want to get into. I love film!
What was it like working with a film legend like Dennis Hopper who has
been on the screen for 50 plus years?
Dennis Hopper was cool! He is one of the coolest people that I have known.
He really is what people think he is and not in a bad way but in a genius
type of way when it comes to acting. I was watching different tricks
that he was doing in order to get into the character. It was amazing
to see that. It makes all that much sense when he’s doing it and you
can see it from behind the scenes.
Film is something that I love also. What is your favorite genre of film?
I like comedy, drama, action and some weird movies and tear jerker movies.
I just need a good flick and I’m into it. One of my favorite movies to
this day is “Rainman”. On the flip side you got “Menace II Society”,
“Scarface” and movies like that. “Christmas Story” is one of my favorites
too, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” You never know with me.
Before we go I have to ask you about Cam. I read somewhere that you haven’t
spoken to each other in a very long time. Are you and him cool?
The last time I checked we wasn’t enemies, but even brothers go through
some shit. We have done a lot of things coming up as youngsters that
cleaned a path for us to be able to walk on today. We built Diplomats
from nothing and it gave us the opportunity to do Byrd Gang, Skull Gang
and Killa Season. Maybe some day we can make history and come back and
do another album for the real money, but right now it is what it is.
Everybody always asks me about it but I have no real concrete answers.
My gripes were a little bit personal and some business, but aside from
that it wasn’t to the point to where we want to kill each other or anything.
That still leaves hope for the of the Dipset fans that someday there
will be another Diplomats album for them to enjoy.
Yeah. Hopefully someday that will happen.
